


The Paladin of the Sea

by MommaVanillaBear



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Lance (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Langst, M/M, Mentioned Amnesia, Non Human!Lance, good boyfriend Shiro, minor Alternative Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 14:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12684099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MommaVanillaBear/pseuds/MommaVanillaBear
Summary: The Blue Paladin knew he was different; he had known his whole life and kept a mask of humanity on at all times.All the other's knew the Blue Paladin to be human, he had never given them any reason to doubt it; and he was content to live behind the mask he carefully kept in place.And yet, he hated lying to Shirogane, despised himself for being too weak to tell the other his little (big) secret.It's only after a peace council gone wrong that Lance is forced to show what's behind his mask.Will Shirogane leave him or accept him?*Written Commission for an awesome follower on tumblr*





	The Paladin of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission I wrote for an awesome follower on tumblr, and the reason why I have yet to update any of my other stories.  
> This was a bit of a challenge for me, as I had to think outside the box and I hope you all enjoy this, and if you want a commission for yourself simply hit up my tumblr at MommaVanillaBear
> 
> I'll admit i'm not a great writer when it comes to fighting scenes, and honestly i was a bit nervous to post this fic.  
> As always, thank you all very much for reading! 
> 
> Also majority of the italic's is used to show dreaming or thought.

Sitting inside the observatory of the castle the large dome glass roofing offered the clearest viewing of the the stars. With no light from the castle to be shone against the clear glass, one could sit back in the dark and watch the cosmos swirl and shimmer, much like jewels in the eyes of the beholder. The castle was silent for how late it was, not a sound to be heard of either footstep nor training, just the the gentle, almost silent inhale and exhale of breath whilst two paladin’s sat in the dark, one nestled close to the other. On this night the black paladin laid on his side, his armor off, dressed only in a pair of gray pajama bottoms and tank top, his head resting on the lap of the blue paladin whom was merely content to gaze up at the heavens, his fingers threading and stroking through near shaved length yet soft hair. Neither spoke a word whilst they curled together, eyes half lidded, each in near silent contemplation; one thinking of the home they would one day return back to, whilst the other remembered a home that no longer would accept them. 

Tears gathered in the blue paladin’s eyes, the oceanic hues watery as the unshed tears grew, finally dripping down his cheeks much like pearls, small and cold down his warm skin, only to be wiped away before they could slip down to his jaw by warm fingers. 

“You miss Earth, huh?” The black paladin murmured, rolling over to lay on his back, gray eyes peering through the dark to see the tan skinned paladin nod, a sniffle heard whilst more tears fell, a shudder of breath causing Lance’s frame to shake. “It’s okay, Lance. I miss Earth too.”

Lance did not trust his voice enough to answer, oh he hated hearing himself when he cried, the sound always much shriller than any normal human male- something that made him sound near animalistic when he was crying in earnest- no, he would not sob openly in front of Shirogane. He just couldn’t.  

Nodding to show Shirogane that he had hear him Lance slipped his fingers through the tuft of Shirogane’s startling white bangs, giving the snowy white hair a little tug, a hiccup escaping as Shirogane’s galran and flesh hand came up to stroke away the still falling tears, words spoken softly to calm the other. 

“Shh, it’s okay Lance, I promise you. It will be okay, once this is over we will all go back to Earth, together.” Shirogane coaxed, tilting Lance’s head forward to motion for a kiss, Shirogane’s words muffled by Lance’s lips when the blue paladin leant forward. “We’ll go home soon.” 

Home on Earth…

Except, Earth wasn’t Lance’s home. Not his birth home at least. 

And that was a secret Lance would take to his grave. How could he, a sham of a human, ever tell the handsome man before him- the paladin he loved with every fiber of his being, and was loved back in return- that he wasn’t human? Didn’t Shirogane deserve one normal thing in his already messed up life?

“Let’s go to bed, Lance. You’ll feel better after some rest.” As if in thought Shirogane slipped in, “we both will.” Shirogane’s hand was held out for Lance to take once the black paladin had moved to his feet, pulling Lance in close whilst he guided him from their ledge, flesh hand on Lance’s hip whilst Shirogane’s galran hand stroked the back of Lance’s neck. With guided footsteps in the dark Shirogane kept Lance held close, even after they left the observatory and could see, the black paladin drawing silent comfort from the blue, breath gentle against Lance’s neck as the larger paladin nuzzled his him, smelling the faint scent of Lance’s coconut lotion and salt, for a moment Shirogane thought of the beach, thought of the ocean’s Lance talked so much about. 

Shirogane wished he could take them there; he would do anything to see Lance smile carefree once again. 

To rid themselves of the war they were currently locked in.

“Lance, it’s okay to cry, you know I would never think any less of you,” Shirogane cooed, sensing Lance trying to hide his tearful eyes, the tan skinned paladin slipping into the room they shared- it had originally been just Lance’s, and after weeks of dating the blue paladin decided the room was more than big enough to accommodate them both. Though Shirogane reasoned it was because he always ended up sleeping in Lance’s bed whenever the stress of the day had become too much to handle. Moving out of Shirogane hold to undress from his jeans and worn t-shirt, Lance opted to dress for the night in a pair of Shirogane’s pajama pants and oversized sweatshirt. Shirogane’s amusement came out as a gentle laugh at seeing Lance nearly encased by the sweatshirt, helping the other adjust the long sleeves before dimming down the lights and pulling Lance to the bed, thankful that the covers were already folded down from their afternoon nap, practically inviting them to sleep once again. 

“Are you content in stealing all my clothes?”

“Smells like you.” Lance teasefully whispered, brushing the tip of his nose against Shirogane’s neck, thankful the tears had finally ceased, not wishing to cry further when he was so well loved, feeling Shirogane’s heart beating in time with his own. Snaking his arms around Shirogane’s shoulders Lance entangled their legs once they were under the covers and the lights in the room flickered off, the glow rocks offering a bit of light on the far side of the room, casting Shirogane’s face in it’s faint blue glow. Tracing the tips of his fingers down the side of the black paladin’s cheek Lance allowed himself to feel content, his eyes beginning to blink slower as the call of sleep weighed them down, his breath leveling out whilst he pressed sleepy kisses against Shirogane’s lips. It would be only a matter of minutes before they would both fall asleep, and Lance simply didn’t want to fall asleep without reminding the man in his arms just how much he adored him. 

Lance loved his perfect human. 

 

_ Waves were heard… _

_ The soft taste of tang and salt hanging in the mid morning air, a bird up above calling to its mate from across the bay heard above the gentle lapping of the ocean’s waves upon the sand. The sand was nearly pure white and warm from the sun’s rays, not a soul in sight. Far out in the water a head slowly emerged, the skin a soft tanish brown littered with aqua blue scales that resembled freckles, bright eyes blinking slowly, tears slipping down it’s cheeks, hair of dark brown curls splaying out against the water’s surface. The creatures mouth opened and cried a name, cut off by the sounds of the waves… _

 

The first thing Lance was aware of when he awoke was himself sitting up in bed, the covers having slipped down whilst his heart pounded wildly in his chest; bringing a hand to his chest he found he could not speak, his eyes wide with panic until he felt a warm hand beginning to rub calming circles underneath the fabric of the sweatshirt  he wore, Shirogane’s voice speaking over the fading sounds of the ocean that played in Lance’s mind. 

“Breathe. In and out, in and out; it was just a dream, Lance.” Shirogane exaggerated his breathing to help Lance even out his own, fingers tracing the curve of Lance’s spine. “Wherever your mind was, know it was only a dream. You are here, with me, in our room. Can you look at me?” 

Lance’s hands moved down from his chest to rest in his blanket clad lap, with hesitant motions he turned his head just enough to gaze at the black paladin, seeing the worry in Shirogane’s eyes. The larger paladin  continued to rub his hand against Lance’s back, reminding the blue paladin of how his mother had done it for him whenever he had a bad dream at home.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Lance finally whispered when he felt his tongue able to move again, his mouth feeling as if he had slept with cotton balls lodged in it, eyes softening. “It was just a stupid dream. Nothing to worry about.”

“Would it help to talk about it?” Shirogane questioned, lacing the fingers of his Galran hand with Lance’s, offering a reassuring squeeze, leaning closer to press a kiss to the side of the tan skinned paladin’s jaw. “You listen to me when i have a nightmare, I want you to know i’m there for you too.” 

Leaning over to press a kiss against their conjoined hands Lance released a soft sigh, giving his head a shake to show that he was fine. Brushing off the last remnants of his dream Lance breathed in the gentle scent of Shirogane, the scent grounding him, the black paladin smelling of the pine soap and fresh linen, nothing at all like the ocean or vanilla body creams that Lance used near religiously. Squeezing Shirogane’s fingers back in a display of received comfort Lance slid over to drape his long legs over Shirogane’s thighs, their hands never unclasping whilst Lance leant back to recline against the wall. 

“It’s okay, i’ll be fine, I barely even remember what it was about.” Lance laughed softly despite his hidden lie, wanting nothing more than for Shirogane to relax, to not worry about what was going on in Lance’s mind. Lance knew the paladin before him had more than his fair share of mental scarring and vast over load of work that only seem to pile up with each day passing; how could Lance expect him to take care of his issues along with Shirogane’s own?

“Why don’t we go see if the others are already awake, we can have breakfast together and get some morning running in before Allura has us training.” Lance’s legs were slipped off with ease by the black paladin attempting to get up, each muscle moving fluidly under Shirogane’s skin whilst he stretched his still flesh arm up in the air, his back curving forward whilst his galran arm bent at the elbow. It was Lance’s whistle of appreciation that had Shirogane turning around with a slim brow raised, a hint of a blush dusting across the bridge of his nose and along his shoulders. “Well then, Lance, why don’t you show me your morning stretch?”

The smile that stretched on Lance’s lips was enough to have Shirogane step back, the black paladin’s arms crossing over his chest to observe; it was always a favorite of Shirogane’s morning routine to see Lance stretch, the tan skinned paladin able to contour his spine and raise his legs one at a time in poses that many dancers envied. And oh how Lance did it with ease, his lips falling into a smug smirk whilst his brows and eyes rested; standing with his hands on the floor and his legs straight up Lance attempted an in the air split, giggling at feeling Shirogane catch one of his barefeet to keep him from toppling forward. 

“Okay show off, I think you are all warmed up.” Shirogane murmured, letting Lance’s foot go once the tan skinned paladin moved to get back to his feet, Lance’s arms snaking around to hug Shirogane’s middle whilst a coo came from his mouth.

“Don’t act like you weren’t enjoying the sight. Maybe we should try some of those positions later.” Lance winked and slipped away before Shirogane could muster a response, the blue paladin already grabbing the black spandex that served as his underarmor, attaching all the external pieces with ease whilst keeping off his helmet, choosing instead to tuck it up under his arm, waiting for Shirogane to do the same before snaking his hand forward to take Shirogane’s. 

Shirogane merely allowed Lance to steal away his hand, knowing that if he were to try and move away Lance would pout and teasingly whine that Shirogane didn’t love him- which of course Shirogane did, he adored his blue paladin, whispered to him at every available moment how he loved and cherished him, it was just a bit new to him in the regards of showing physical affection. After being away for that long year as a prisoner, Shirogane nearly forgot what physical affection felt like. Nearly forgot what he himself enjoyed. 

But for all Lance’s whining and teasing, he was understanding; was kind and willing to take it slow, always keeping his touches soft until Shirogane reciprocated, never once guilting Shirogane in seriousness if the other had to take a break of the touching. Knowing that merely being in the same room as the other was enough to show he cared.. At times even Lance wasn’t a fan of touch, choosing instead to hide out inside the cockpit of his beloved Blue, only sending Shirogane messages to let the black paladin know that he was okay and that he was thinking of him fondly. The relationship had not been of much surprise to any of the other paladin’s or Altean’s, Hunk and Keith both had sighed with relief when they saw Lance leaning against Shirogane’s shoulder. They simply mixed well, an opposite attraction that blended seamlessly as if they had always been together. Where Lance was loud and outgoing with caramel tanned skin, Shirogane was quiet and contemplative, skin many shades lighter than Lance’s own. Lance was tall and slim, though still dwarfed several inches by Shirogane’s height and muscled bulk. 

Black and blue. 

They made the perfect team. 

 

 

“Morning you two, sit down and get it while it’s hot!” The eager voice of Hunk called out the moment he found the two paladin’s approach the table in the makeshift dining room, Pidge and Keith already sat down and shoveling in what appeared to be a altean variation of cereal and toast. “Or you know, cold. Either way, Coran helped me find this, apparently it tastes like lucky charms.” 

Lance’s eyes lit up at the sound of the comparison, automatically unclasping his hand from Shirogane’s in order to pull up a seat by Keith, accepting a bowl gladly, uncaring that the flakes inside looked to be the color of spinach. “I haven’t had Lucky charms in so long!”

“Did they even have Lucky charms in Cuba?” Keith asked with a raised brow, scooting over a bit for Shirogane to join them, shoveling in another spoonful whilst Lance laughed. 

“Nope, didn’t know about them until I got to the Garrison, and after I found them I made sure to stock pile-”

“It’s true, he had boxes in his closet, and he would hiss at you if you got too close.” Hunk confirmed, handing Shirogane a bowl only to withdraw when Shirogane explained he didn’t care for sweet cereal, Lance eagerly grabbing the bowl for himself whilst giving Shirogane his portion of the thickly sliced bread. 

“Hey, we didn’t have it in Cuba or- you know, back home.” Lance shrugged, cherishing each bite he took, the taste reminding him of the cereal he had experienced for the first time at the Garrison, his eyes closing as he tried to remember what his room back at the Garrison had looked like. For the life of him he just couldn’t seem to remember. 

“So, how did you two sleep last night?” Pidge finally managed to tear their eyes away from the screen before them, a bit of soot on their cheek.

Not wishing to bother the other’s Lance merely shrugged in between a rather large bite, swallowing before speaking. “Slept like the dead, Shiro had to wake me up, you know how I love my sleep.” 

Shirogane gave only a faint nodded at Lance’s response, knowing full well that Lance would never openly admit to having a nightmare, the blue paladin never having been one to let others worry about him. Taking the portion of bread like substance that Lance had traded him Shirogane ate slowly, losing himself to the memory of that morning, the fear he had felt when Lance had sat up suddenly in bed after tossing and turning just minutes before, hissing as if he had been in pain. Though he had seen Lance calm down and had watched him dress- he knew physically Lance was fine, but emotionally Shirogane couldn’t help but feel that Lance was still disconnected. What hurt most was that it seem Lance was purposely keeping something hidden from  _ him.  _

And though Shirogane understood and respected the meaning of privacy, he still couldn’t help but frown. Normally Lance was an open book that Shirogane could easily read with a quick look; Lance’s honesty was one of his traits that Shirogane loved the most, never having to worry if the other was being sincere. Yet at times, even he had trouble reading the emotions that flashed through Lance’s eyes before they would vanish from sight, replaced with a meek smile that Lance slipped into place when he wanted to reassure his boyfriend that all was well.

Being as it were, the black paladin couldn’t help but be curious as to what Lance was hiding deep within that mind of his. 

“-Allura informed us there was a nearby Galaxy that is seeking a council with the paladins of Voltron, Coran’s been trying to think of ways to make our armor a bit more ‘spiffy’.” Hunk’s voice broke through Shirogane’s train of thought, his elbow resting on the table as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. 

“What’s wrong with the armor we have?” Lance’s head tilted in thought, draining the first bowl of it’s leftover milk into the second before taking another bite, gently humming at the taste, the noise reminding Shirogane much of a cat’s purring. 

“Something about them not being ‘official’ looking enough,” Keith’s eyes rolled, his spoon dipping into Lance’s bowl as he forced the blue paladin to share, uncaring of Lance’s whining and trying to pull the bowl away. 

“And just when do they plan on seeking our counsel?” Shirogane finally asked, bringing order to their breakfast table, even causing Pidge to glance up once more from their screen. 

Glancing amongst themselves Hunk finally gave a shrug, looking sheepish at Shirogane’s raised brow.

“We don’t know, Allura and Coran wanted to talk to you about it but you were sleeping-”

“Sucking Lance’s face is more like is.” Pidge scoffed, only to receive a kick to the shin by Keith. “Ow!” 

“Pidge don’t be gross!” 

“What?! He was!” 

 

 

_ Waves were rolling against the sandy shores… _

_ The sand on the beach shone near dazzling under the rays of the sun, tall walls of clay bordering the lagoon whilst rocks jutted out from the water serving as sun bathing areas. Amongst the sounds of the waves was laughter; gentle laughter belonging to that of a young boy and woman, bright and full of life. Running away from the woman in a game of chase the boy continued laughing, the woman calling out to him. _

_ “La-?” _

 

Lance’s head jerked to the side from where he had been sitting, unaware he had been dozing off until he was rudely awoken by the Princess’s annoyed snapping of his name, suddenly all eyes on his. Bringing a hand up to the back of his neck, his cheeks felt flaming hot with embarrassment, though touched as well with a bit of shame at seeing the unimpressed look from Shirogane. 

“As I was saying, and please Lance, if this is so boring for you, you can go run some laps in the training hall!” Allura rolled her eyes in annoyance, expecting the blue paladin to merely apologize, taken aback when Lance stood, heading for the double doors, surprising his fellow paladin’s as well. 

 

 

“What’s going on with me?” Lance whispered to himself leaning up against one of the walls in the hall, bringing his hand to his face to feel under his eyes,surprised to find the skin wet with sweat and scaley over his cheeks where his freckles were. 

_ Scaley...?! _

Pushing off from the wall Lance felt his chest constrict, his heart beating much too fast to be normal as he headed for the first available washroom, thankful that the castle offered many different ones, one being fairly close to the level he was on. 

It was only in the safety of the washroom, after locking and relocking the door that Lance allowed himself to look into the mirror, his eyes filling up with tears at the sight of himself. The real him, not the shell of a human he wore to blend in among the other paladins- but  _ him. _

“No- please Neptune no,” Lance whispered, looking away from the reflection that gazed back at him. Lance’s nails dug into his palms, his body curling protectively whilst he dropped to his knee’s;  tears fell hotly down his cheeks  before he could stop them, a shudder of a gasp tearing through him. “No, not now, please not now! I was doing so good! Please, Neptune, I will do anything just please don’t fail me!” 

The pain in forcing the shifting to take place once more had Lance’s breath hitching, his eyes nearly rolling back until he found he could once more breath easily, his body no longer aching. And when he got back to his feet to look in the mirror he only saw his human appearance gazing back at him.

Perfectly human.

“Just be human, you can do this. Be Lance McClain, do this for Shiro.” Lance whispered to himself, feeling his cheeks to make there were no abrasions, only stepping back once he saw that his image did not change, his tears dried by the heel of his hands. With the command for the lights to power down and the door to unlock Lance was gone, heading for the training halls to run his laps whilst he thought back to the dreams. 

Lance just didn’t have the foggiest idea as to why he was dreaming of the day his mother had found him, shouldn’t he have been dreaming of where he was born, Atoranchisu?

If he were to really stop and think about it, Lance had been feeling an odd rippling under his skin for the past few weeks, the sensation only been ignored due to all the mission’s they had been on, as well as wanting to keep a good show for Shirogane. But now that he was running the laps in the training hall Lance couldn’t help but think back to the feeling, the sensation of energy running under his skin, a nervous energy that made Lance want to fully melt away his glamours and just swim to the darkest, murkiest depths until the energy faded. 

With the shaking of his head Lance focused more on the act of running rather than the thoughts swirling around in his head, alerted only by the sound of running foot steps behind him; not wanting to see the disappointment, or worse, anger in the black paladin’s eyes. It was better in his eyes to just continue running to show that he was at least somewhat training rather than having to face talking about it. Even if it was only a temporary solution. 

It didn’t take long for Shirogane to catch up with Lance, running beside him, easily keeping pace and speeding up when Lance began to run faster, knowing full well Lance was avoiding looking or talking to him. Shirogane only stopped once Lance had, the tan skinned paladin leaning forward whilst he rested his hands on his knees for support, panting softly whilst sweat beaded on his brow. Using the moment of stillness to his advantage Shirogane reached over, pressing his hand to Lance’s shoulder until the paladin finally looked up, the oceanic blue eyes Shirogane loved so much were glossy and down casted. 

“Look at me, Lance.”

“I don’t want to- I know I messed up, I don’t want you to be disappointed in me…” Lance mumbled, stepping closer at seeing Shirogane’s arms reach out, encasing the blue paladin in an embrace that was hoped for comfort.

“I’m not disappointed, Lance. A bit confused, and hurt, but not disappointed.” Shirogane tapped his fingers against the underside of Lance’s chin, urging the other to  look up, to meet his eyes, assuring Lance once more that he wasn’t disappointed. “Lance, something is clearly going on, and I can’t help if you don’t let me in. Please, i’ve been out of touch for so long, I don’t want to be left in the dark any longer. I can’t make you talk about it, but please, don’t shut me out.” 

Guilt was the first emotion to wash over Lance at hearing the shadow of sadness that lingered in Shirogane’s words, knowing that the black paladin was referring to his year with the Galran; it nearly broke Lance’s heart to think that Shirogane thought he was purposely being kept out. Stroking his fingers down Shirogane’s neck, Lance pressed forward, his eyes closing as he tucked his head under his boyfriend’s chin.

“Shiro?” Lance waited patiently for the black paladin to hum before finishing. “What if tonight we go somewhere? Just you and me, let’s just take Blue or Black and find somewhere to just be alone...I don’t want  you to feel like i’m keeping you out, you know i would never-”

“I know, I know.” Shirogane reassured, nuzzling his chin against Lance’s hair softly, stroking his fingers down the back of Lance’s armor. “After dinner meet me in the hangars, we’ll take Black out for a bit, I know she’s been wanting an excuse to stretch out a bit other than in battle.”

Lance chuckled at the suggestion, understanding completely, Blue was always trying to get him to take her out. Moving his head back just enough to give Shirogane’s lips a kiss Lance ignored the fake gagging he heard from over by  the doors. “Sounds good, love you.”

“Love you too.” Shirogane whispered back, releasing his hold on Lance despite the need to continue holding him; he frowned as he gazed over to Keith and the other’s who were in various stages of making kissing faces and faux gagging. “Keith, I heard that. Go run five laps and come meet me for some sparring. Pidge, Hunk, you’re both going to be sparring with Lance since you have so much free time. And if any of you decide you don’t feel like giving it your all, then you can run laps until the hour is up.” 

The chorus of ‘Yes Shiro!’ had the black paladin grinning despite himself, the scarred paladin moving across the hall to stretch. Waiting for Keith to finish his laps the black paladin watched Lance and the other two getting ready- he silently hoped Hunk and Lance wouldn’t just end up gaining up on Pidge, knowing the two of them had a bond that only grew since their days of being at the Garrison together.

Shirogane would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit envious of the close bond that the yellow and blue paladin shared.

Shirogane wondered silently if perhaps he should talk to Hunk about what might have been going on with Lance.

 

 

After training came a bit of down time for the paladin’s; each opted to entertain themselves during their time with various activities- Pidge holed up in their room with one of their latest inventions whilst Hunk and Lance lounged about playing one of the various games they had purchased from the odd markets they would travel to for supplies. Shirogane had planned on catching up with Keith when he was pulled aside by Coran and the princess, his brows knitting in silent annoyance as his time was once more monopolized by the two of them.

“Shiro, I do hate to bother you about this, but we really must talk about the peace negotiations.” Allura had started, wasting no time in bringing up a star map of the galaxy she was referring to, pointing out in the midst of swirls and various constellations a planet. “The Talianz have been in control of the Nova small galaxy for many of what you earthlings would  call centuries, by them wishing to form an alliance I can’t help but to think what good it would do for the rest of their galaxy. If the Talianz join us so will the other’s of the system. However-”

“There’s something troubling you about them.” Shirogane offered, his arms crossing over his chest whilst he gazed at the star image, noting another file Allura brought up, revealing a species resembling the human form however their coloring a pale green with dark stripes blended into the skin and eyes reminding of Galran. The image alone of the species had Shirogane uneasy. There was just something about those eyes he could not trust. 

“Not too long ago the Talianz were responsible for several destroyed planets in their galaxy, and though we do not have the authority to avenge the fallen, it would not surprise me if they are trying to nestle their way to get closer to us in hopes of expanding their rule.” Coran spoke, bringing up several images with a motion of his hand, the pictures of desolated and destroyed planets along with flickering images of what alien species had once inhabited the shown dead planets. “They say there was another planet amongst them, Atoranchisu, I believe it was called. A very peculiar race, not much unlike us Alteans. I believe they would be called, Merfolk had they been on Earth.”

Moving his hand up Shirogane’s brow furrowed further, his eyes narrowing in thought. “And if we refuse council with them?” 

“Then they will refuse to allow us any refuge in the Nova small galaxy should we ever need to seek it.” 

Gritting his teeth at the response Shirogane felt a knot forming in his upper shoulders, stepping forward to reach out, expanding the holographic star map with a flick of his fingers. “Looks like we’ll need to accept their invitation. Before then, I do want to see all surrounding planets. If we are going to be in their territory then I need to see what we are getting into and a plan of escape should things go south.” 

“Of course, if you look to the left of Talianz there are two small moons that cast a bit of a shadow on one another...” 

 

 

By the time Shirogane had finished planning and discussing with both Allura and Coran he felt drained, both physically and mentally, and the only saving grace he could find before heading for their evening meal was that in the form of a long hot shower. Having gone back for a pair of clean clothes from their shared room Shirogane made his way to the washroom, aware by the steam wafting from behind one of the curtains and soft humming that one of the other paladin’s had a similar idea. 

Placing the folded clothing by the shower stall he chose Shirogane began to slowly remove each piece of armor, placing the pieces down carefully, his eyes catching the blue markings etched into the armor across the room, a smile stretching on his lips at an idea taking form. Pulling down the nearly seamless zipper silently Shirogane made sure to strip it off and head towards the shower in use. Stopping short of opening  the curtain Shirogane listened to the gentle humming coming from behind, the melody something he had heard Lance emitting once before, but never having recognized where it was from. Moving the curtain over quietly Shirogane slipped inside to find Lance mid rinsing of his hair, the blue paladin’s eyes closed whilst a thick lather was dripping down his arms, the steam from the shower wisping from his tanned skin. 

With a devilish smirk Shirogane moved over behind the humming paladin, an arm snaking around Lance’s middle to prevent the other from falling as Lance’s humming stopped and a near shriek tore from him. 

“What the fuc- Takashi that is not funny!” Lance snapped, head nearly wiping back at the peel of laughter that tore through Shirogane, the black paladin nuzzling his chin against Lance’s neck despite the other huffing and playfully swatting him, uncaring that the sudds got into his hair. “You nearly scared me half to death.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are not.” Lance huffed, resting his hands over Shirogane’s arm, leaning back whilst the hot water of the shower continued to cascade over them, a gentle purr of a noise coming from Lance we he felt Shirogane’s other hand resting on his hip, the pad of his thumb rubbing a small circle on Lance’s hip bone. “They had you for an awfully long time, don’t they know you need down time too?”

Shirogane couldn’t help but grunt in agreeance, breathing in the rich scent of strawberry and coconut from Lance’s body wash and shampoo. “It comes with being the black paladin. Besides, if it means keeping all of you safe then I don’t mind the extra responsibility.”

Lance’s sigh was heard over the sounds of the water, the blue paladin turning around in Shirogane’s hold to press a hand to the scarred paladin’s chest, his other hand tapping Shirogane’s nose. “And what about your peace of mind? What about keeping you safe? We are a team, we keep each other safe, and as a team we should all have down time, time to not be, well, Paladin’s! Allura and Coran need to start relying on us more and not always on you!”

Had it come from anyone else Shirogane would have brushed it aside as just anger for a friend’s well being, but coming from Lance, Shirogane knew the other was fed up at seeing him running almost ragged, the blue paladin having already seen him run down to the ground too many times to count.  Rubbing the tip of his nose against Lance’s in endearment Shirogane released a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding, his shoulders finally allowed to relax as he felt himself pulled closer under the shower, the hot water hitting his back and earning a grunt as the muscle tightened before ever so slowly beginning to loosen. 

“I take it the aliens who want to talk to us aren’t the greatest?” Lance wondered, lathering a bit of shampoo into his hands whilst he reached up to wash Shirogane’s hair, careful to evenly layer whilst his fingers massaged into the black paladin’s scalp, waiting patiently for Shirogane to answer, enjoying the moment of simple washing and adoring, cooing softly to remind Shirogane that he was still with him. A grounding technique Lance had learned.

“No better than the Galrans if you ask me, just not as big or as resourceful as them.Their technology is barely above Earth’s.” Closing his eyes Shirogane ducked under the spray to rinse the soap from his hair, murmuring softly a noise of thanks before allowing Lance to lather his hair once more with conditioner, enjoying the gentle touches and gliding of fingers against his scalp. Shirogane enjoyed every touch he received from Lance; from lathering fingers to the gentle scrubbing of a wash rag against his face and neck, allowing the blue paladin to take care of him, knowing it was Lance’s way of showing his admiration. 

If Shirogane’s eyes had been opened he would have seen the flickering of scales on Lance’s face, the blue paladin losing himself in the moment of simple touches and cascading water, the scales vanishing before Shirogane’s eyes opened. 

“Well then, it’s a good thing we are going to put them in their place.” Lance whispered, stepping back to allow Shirogane to wash his back, a blush on his cheeks at feeling the cloth brush against his lower back, fingers tapping his backside teasingly. “Come on, no funny business, Hunk said dinner was nearly done fifteen minutes ago, do you really want to make Keith gag again?” 

“He’ll get over this phase eventually.” Pressing a kiss to Lance’s neck Shirogane finally sighed in defeat, allowing him to step back to fully rinse off. “Do you still want to go out tonight?”

With a playful wink Lance headed for the shower curtain to step out, giving Shirogane’s backside a playful pat. “Of course, I wouldn’t be missing it for the world, captain.” 

Shirogane’s eyes rolled at the nickname, stepping back once more under the spray of the hot water, allowing his thoughts to go silent for a bit whilst the last of the knot in his muscles dissipated. 

 

 

Lance had to admit, stepping into the hangar of the Black lion he couldn’t help but feel just a bit intimidated; the presence of his faithful Blue was still within range of being felt, yet, standing before Black he found that the size difference was quite substantial up close. With Black being the biggest of the Lion’s of Voltron Lance could clearly see why, and standing before Black wearing a pair of jeans and Shirogane’s hoody Lance began to question if he belonged in the hangar. Considering the thought of leaving, of just finding Shirogane and telling him they would take Blue, Lance found the lion before him suddenly moving down on its haunches, eyes flickering to life before it’s massive maw opened, revealing the steps into the cockpit, soft lights beginning to glow rather than the usual brighter lights that shown in each lion’s pit. 

“She can sense you’re nervous.” Shirogane’s voice whispered, causing Lance to jump, the blue paladin quick to turn around to find Shirogane smiling victoriously, arms crossed over his broad chest. “Looks like that makes it twice today I have caught you off guard.” 

“You keep that up i’m going to go into cardiac arrest.” Lance huffed, blushing at the sight of Shirogane’s grin, unable to keep his own smile from forming. “Well, who wouldn’t be nervous- your lion is the largest out of all of ours.”

“That simply means more leg room.” Taking Lance’s hand in his Shirogane’s gave the slim fingers a squeeze, the black paladin stepping closer, his chest pressing against Lance’s back whilst his free hand rested on Lance’s waist. “We don’t have to go in Black if you are nervous, I’m comfortable taking Blue if that’s what you want.”

Worrying on his bottom lip Lance gave the Black lion before him a fleeting glance before giving Shirogane’s hand a gentle squeeze back,, head shaking. “No- it’s okay, we’ll go in Black, after all, you said she has more leg space and a bigger seat- this way I don’t have to worry about you being uncomfortable.” Lance’s cheeks darkened once more at feeling Shirogane’s lips pressing against the back of his neck, the black paladin beginning to walk, guiding Lance forward until he took the first step into the cockpit. Black’s jaw already closing, the dim lighting was just enough to keep them from being in the dark. Bringing Lance to the console Shirogane moved them around to take a seat, motioning with his hands for Lance to sit on his lap, a request Lance did happily as the blue paladin snuggle up against Shirogane’s broad chest, long legs draped over the arms rest whilst Lance held onto Shirogane’s arm. 

“Are you comfortable?” Shirogane whispered, reaching out to take one of the controls, focusing on getting Black safely out of the hangar whilst Lance hummed in agreement. 

There was something simply liberating on leaving the hangars with the lion’s, no matter how many times it was done, whether for training or missions, and the rare pleasure of it, Shirogane couldn’t help but just feel weightless sitting in Black. The pure raw power of the mechanical lion nearly vibrating when he touched the controls, the link he established with her grounding despite the lion moving throughout the heavens, it was something Shirogane loved to experience, and with Lance draped over his lap and playing idly with collar of his shirt, Shirogane couldn’t help but feeling more at ease than he had for a while. 

Sitting together in silence the lights in the cockpit finally extinguished to leave both paladin’s in the dark, the stars of nearby galaxies and shining of far off planets bright, a sight that was rarely seen when they were busy with counter attacks and missions. With wide eyes Lance gazed at the never ending display of celestial beauty, his eyes nearly aglow in the dark, his lips parted a fraction. Feeling the warm arms against him Lance leant back once more, his own hands moving up to cradle Shirogane’s jaw whilst he tucked his head against his shoulder. 

“It’s beautiful,” Lance whispered, feeling much like a child again, remembering the first time he had ever seen the night sky so full of stars, wishing to be among them. Tracing his fingers up Shirogane’s cheeks Lance sighed softly, content to simply gaze to his heart’s content, Shirogane’s hands resting against his ribcage a gentle reminder that he was loved- that he was not alone. Had the circumstances been different Lance would have simply closed his eyes and took off every glamour he had made around himself, to sit amongst the stars as who he truly was, enveloped by Shirogane’s arms...and yet…

“Shiro, if I was different, would you still love me?”

Shirogane’s head tilted, a brow arching at the question, “what do you mean by different?”

“If i didn’t look the same, if I- I don’t know, if I had different colored skin or hair, would you still love me?” Lance reiterated, chewing on his bottom lip once more, silently gasping at Shirogane’s arms tightening around him, the black paladin’s breath warm against him. 

“Lance, listen to me,” Shirogane murmured, nuzzling his head slowly, “no matter what you looked like, I would still love you. Whether you had pink hair or green skin it wouldn’t matter. You could even be from a different galaxy and I would still see you as my Lance. Now, why the sudden question?”

Lance swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, blinking back the tears, how did he manage to get someone as amazing as Shirogane to fall for him? And how cruel was he that he still couldn’t tell Shirogane the truth?

“No reason, I just like knowing that you love me.” Lance whispered, bringing his hands to rub against Shirogane’s wrists. “I would love you no matter what.”

“Galran prosthetic and all?” Shirogane whispered in question.

“Galran prosthetic and all.” 

Falling back into silence Lance felt the tension drain from his body, his hands stroking idly against the creases of Shirogane’s wrists, palm, and fingers, memorizing each line he felt, mapping out the flesh of Shirogane’s palm, relaxing under the gentle petting down to his own ribcage. Lance wasn’t sure of the future- he wasn’t sure of a lot of things, and being a Paladin of Voltron meant never quite knowing what will happen, but there was one thing Lance knew for certain; he wanted to be with Shirogane always. Even if it meant revealing who he truly was, and though that shook Lance to the core to even think about, he knew if it came down to it, that he would show Shirogane some day. Even if that day meant them separating and ending their relationship. 

Playing with Shirogane’s fingers Lance listened to the black paladin talk of the different constellations his mother had shown him when he was young, regaling Lance with stories of lore from his land of birth. Lance in return told Shirogane about his large family, admitting that despite having so many sister’s he never felt like the odd one out, laughing to himself  about how his mother would be thrilled to see him finally dating someone so kind and put together. Shirogane’s reddened cheeks were enough to get Lance laughing, a sigh escaping him in bliss.

“Shiro, let’s head back, I’m pretty tired. Plus, you owe me some kisses.” Lance teased softly, unaware of just how long they had been sitting in the dark, having nearly drifted to sleep several times from listening to Shirogane’s gentle tone as the black paladin spoke.

“Sure, Lance.” Shirogane murmured, keeping one arm safely around Lance whilst he lazily reached forward to take hold of the controls, motioning with a thought and a flick of his wrist for the Black lion to head back towards the castle, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed beside Lance once they got there. 

Stroking his fingers through the locks of hair that threatened to fall into Lance’s eyes, Shirogane hummed affectionately, pushing away the doubts and worries he had from earlier that evening. 

He couldn’t explain it, Shirogane just knew that everything would work out. 

 

 

Awakening from a dreamless sleep had Lance smiling, his back arching as he pressed closer against the black paladin’s chest, assuring Shirogane that he was awake and that the other didn’t need to keep shaking his shoulder. Slipping out of bed Lance fell into comfortable routine, getting into his spandex with ease before applying his Paladin armor. With the council being held that day- a late reminder Allura had told them just the night before as they came back from their time out- Lance made sure to apply his face creme with care before adding a thin layer of foundation. He told Shirogane that it was to reduce possible oil shine, though in reality it was to cover any possible signs of scales should he fall under stress. Dabbing on just a bit of flesh colored lip coating Lance rubbed his lips to smooth out the color, following after Shirogane only after the black paladin remarked he was leaving whether with or without him.

“I have to look good, you know. Even if i’m taken, I have to show them what they are missing out on.” Lance teased whilst he took hold of Shirogane’s arm, his grin infectious. “Not to mention, someone on team Voltron needs to look this good.”

“Are you saying I am homely?” Shirogane teased back, brow raising in time to see Lance shake his head and move his hands away in a display of meaning no harm. 

“Of course not! You’re the handsome member of Voltron whilst I am the beautiful, honestly, it’s like comparing the King to a Queen.” Slipping his arms back around Shirogane’s Lance preened happily. “And i’m definitely Queen of Voltron.”

“You’re a royal pain in the ass.”

Lance shook off the rude comment Keith had made at hearing Lance’s joking, the blue paladin simply rolling his eyes whilst he took a seat, a plate of food goo waiting for him whilst Coran and Allura stood at the opposite side of the table to go over the objective for their ‘mission’. Honestly Lance wouldn’t call playing nice and nodding respectfully much of a mission, after all, they dealt with the Galran’s nearly on a weekly bases, he didn’t see how difficult this other alien race could be. 

“I know we have yet to properly educate you all on the mannerisms of Talianz, we were led to believe that we had more time than just a day’s notice, however, due to already weakend ties the Talianz are insistent that they meet with all of you today.” Coran started, bringing up a holo pad screen to show a basic layout of the planet and its inhabitants. “With enough persuasions your presence shall only be for cosmetic purpose, Allura and myself will be doing much of the talking and interacting, as we have both had the- err- pleasure of speaking with them before.”

“If it were not for the possible safety of Voltron’s future I would have bypassed this all together-”

“It’s okay, we’ve been treated in a lot of different ways,” Hunk interjected politely, raising a hand as if to wave off Allura’s concern, his tone growing hopeful. “We just need to smile and show up, that right? We can do that!”

“Something doesn’t feel right about this.” The green paladin finally spoke, bringing up a hand to push their glasses back into place. “If what I read is correct, why would the Talianz wish to align with us? They already had a skirmish with the Galran and clearly were able to talk them back, so why the sudden interest in us?”

“Maybe they just don’t want to risk a second run in?” Hunk speculated, though he did not sound quite too sure in himself, his arms crossing over his thick chest, a lock of black hair falling over his forehead. 

“Whatever the reason is, as paladins of Voltron it is our duty to offer protection and alliance for those wishing safety and continued freedom from Zarkon and his forces.” Shirogane’s voice quieted the paladin’s sitting by him, only Lance having remained silent whilst he gazed upon the image that flickered of the holo pad screen, his brows furrowed. “We shall be there for whatever role you need us to play. Whether they expect us to form Voltron or merely to see that we are a team, we will be there, and we will respect their customs- within reason!” 

Daring not to speak against her black paladin, Allura gave a hesitant nod, clasping her hands together in front of herself whilst the screen changed to reveal a few key rules and tips that Coran had set together for them. 

“Well then, let us first start off with a proper Talianz greeting, for males- though in this case, for all of you, a bow at the waist shall suffice with your left hand fisted and pressed to where your heart would be. You will be expected to do this for each higher upTalianz you meet.” 

“And how will we know if they are some big shot?” Pidge asked. 

“Simple,their left eyes have a larger iris than the other, but don’t be caught staring, they see it as a way of undermining authority and a declaration of a fight.” Coran perked, indicating with his finger to his own eye how to spy the difference, leaving the Paladin’s more frustrated than alleviated by the answering. 

“Now, let’s move onto proper conversation-”

With a groan Lance leant his head against Shirogane’s arm, eyes rolling whilst he faked dying of boredom. Coran could have been speaking another language for all Lance knew, the conversation being tuned out whilst he contented himself to think of the night before rather than the boring day ahead. 

 

 

None of the Paladin’s knew exactly what to expect from the Talianz; even after being educated on behaviour and mannerisms there was still a wave of tension in the air, each Paladin waiting with discomfort behind Allura and Coran, waiting and praying that they could get through the day by mimicking them. Even after reading briefly about the climate and seeing brief images, none of them were prepared for just how close to home everything resembled- everything a startling image of what the Earth resembled save for purple hued sky. It was hard not to forget themselves and the situation they found themselves in. 

Clearing her throat to catch their attention without alerting the aliens before them, Allura bowed in greeting, her hand raised in politeness, motioning with a quick flick of her fingers on her limp hand for the Paladin’s to follow suit. “It is an honor to be here among you, and we, the members of Voltron appreciate every effort you have made to join our alliance.”

“I thought they would be more grand-”

“An ugly bunch-”

“Why are they different colors?”

Lance’s lips fell from his smile at hearing the none too quietly whispered words; had they not been officials he would have snapped at them, or the least give them a none too polite gesture of his finger. 

“Princess Allura, as always a pleasure to see you in good health, the paladin’s you have brought surely are a,” the one that spoke sounded feminine enough, eyes taking in the sight of each paladin, stopping to linger on Lance, pupils dilating a fraction. “Interesting choice of Paladin’s, please, at ease. We have much to discuss on your allegiance with us.”

Keith’s eyes narrowed at the way the alien spoke, untrusting of the way they paused, however forced to follow alongside the other’s, his eyes flickering to Lance, catching himself in thought. Why did they stop and look at Lance out of all of them?

Heading away from the Lions, albeit a bit reluctantly, the paladins of Voltron were brought to a large structure rivaling that of the castle, just as tall and wide with various windows and statues, depicting beasts carved in various materials. One however, towards the back resembled a creature that one would associate with the term  _ merfolk _ , possessing a body very much like a humans save for long fins that grew from the back of legs and at the elbows, slender pointed and webbed ears carved out from under the hair. It’s eyes were near almond shaped and it’s lips thin; the face of the statue was expressionless, however, the air about it was solemn, something not quite peaceful about it.

“The statues of the fallen, each planet we have lost are remembered with a statue of their race’s top inhabitants.” Another Talianz explained as they passed, turning to speak briefly of how each planet perished, creating elaborate stories of their forsaken attempts to save them only to be foiled by the Galran’s and natural disasters. 

The lies were crafted with care to have them be seen as plausible, and that had the black paladin’s blood near boiling.Shirogane had never been a fan of senseless violence, and that slow disdain grew after seeing the death and enslavement the Galran’s had forced him to lay witness too. Without a second thought Shirogane knew he would personally attack the Talianz in charge should they turn to be traitors, a hunch that only grew with each time they spoke. 

Reaching his hand out while he walked Shirogane took Lance’s hand in his, threading their fingers together more so for his sake as well as Lance’s, knowing that the blue paladin may be boisterous and outgoing to save face; but was truly a bit shy and skittish when meeting others, especially during meetings such as this. Casting Lance a quick look the blue paladin merely gave Shirogane’s fingers a soft squeeze back, the usual smile he wore plastered on his lips despite it never reaching his eyes. 

Something was wrong.

Something was wrong with the Talianz, and from the way Lance kept fidgeting and flickering his eyes nearly non stop as if expecting to be attacked, there was definitely something wrong with him as well.

“Lance, breath, i’m here.” Shirogane whispered just loud enough for Lance to hear, unwishing to alert the other paladins, or god forbid, the Talianz of the possible situation. 

The way Lance worries on his bottom lip would have gone by unnoticed by all save for the black paladin, having been around Lance long enough to tell when his teeth were biting and pulling on the inner flesh whilst his lips still froze in a tight smile. Had they been anywhere else Shirogane would have pulled the blue paladin close to kiss him, to calm him down. He hated seeing any of his fellow paladin’s upset, Lance however more so. 

The discussion of the Talianz officials become muffled to the blue and black paladin’s, their focus more on each other and their conjoined hands than what it being spoken. Shirogane inwardly chastised himself for being unable to focus, whilst Lance simply listens to the pulsing of his heartbeat in his ears, and focuses on the warmth of Shirogane’s large hand, imagining feeling the fight calloused palm underneath. 

Various halls were passed and more than a few higher up Talianz were met and introduced,the paladins led to a large room that Lance couldn’t help but think of as banquet hall, large bay windows letting in natural lighting whilst various Talianz stood about to view them, their eyes cold whilst their lips rest in untrusting, near smug smiles. Allura’s hand rose slowly as she motioned to the paladin’s to ‘mingle’, quick to remind them to stay close to either herself or Coran before they can get too far. It is clear by Allura’s tight posture and hesitant smile that she is beginning to feel weary of the Talianz, whilst Coran moves forward fluidly, charming several unsuspecting aliens with his knowledge and mannerisms. Something Lance finds he wishes he knew how to do, as he is only able to stand a bit awkwardly next to Shirogane, wondering just what to say to the passing aliens that eye them with interest- in some cases, disinterest and poorly hidden disgust. 

Watching the other paladin’s begin to spread out- Keith keeping his distance while he talks, while Pidge and Hunk are more than happy to try and talk to the Talianz about food and technology- Lance makes sure to stick by Shirogane’s side, thankful that the visor of his helmet allows himself some respite of having to look the Talianz in the eyes, taking to heart the warning Coran had given them that morning. Following in step behind the black paladin, Lance headed towards a table that consisted of several dishes, watching the Talianz pick and choose with their hands, not a single serving plate or utensil in sight. Picking up what resembled an apple, bright green and golden hued in color, Lance scan’s it quick with his helmet, waiting for the go ahead before handing it to Shirogane, noting with a pleased smile how the other gave him a knowing look. 

Had it been a few months prior Lance would have just dug right in without thinking of the various consequences.

A lot has changed since their time starting off. 

“What were you scanning for, Blue paladin?” A Talianz spoke softly, cocking their head in a cattish fashion; the speaker wore a dark robe of greens and blue, their face marked with various colored scars. In a more feminine voice the alien asked, “is the food not to your liking?”

There was a hint of frustration in their words, Lance was quick to smoothly lie, motioning to Shirogane that he had it under control. “Some Earthlings can’t have too much sugar, I simply wanted to make sure the sugar count wasn’t too high, we have sensitive stomachs. Scanning what we eat prevents us from getting sick. I assure you it looks delicious.” 

“Oh,” their hands clapped as if in understanding, a knowing smile stretching on thin lips. “I think it’s very sweet you care about your earthlings- humans, they are called, yes?”

“I- well i’m a human too,” Lance quickly added, taking a piece of fruit for himself, giving it a scan as if to show a bit of truth to his words. “Us humans have to watch out for each other…”

Clearly confused the alien shifted back, eyes peering, for a moment Lance wondered if she was even looking at him any more or if he was being dissected slowly, suddenly feeling far too exposed despite being in full armor and having his bayard at his side. Taking a step back he brought the fruit to his lips and took a bite, thankful that having food in his mouth meant he had an excuse to keep quiet. 

It may have looked like an apple but the consistency was much like jello inside a crunchy casing, the taste reminding Lance of spiced rum with just a hint of sweetness. Not too bad, he wondered if he could get away with stashing some, perhaps Hunk would have the same idea. 

Swallowing his mouthful- really how did it keep it’s form without becoming all gooey? Lance finally looked over to Shirogane, frowning at the look of concentration in the gray eyes he had come to love so much, the Black paladin clearly deep in thought whilst he held the fruit in his gloved hand, only bringing it to his lips when Lance cleared his throat. 

“It’s...odd…” Shirogane admitted, his eyes once again on the fruit, brows knitting  as if trying to figure out what the taste reminded him of. Taking another bite Shirogane turned his attention back to Lance, moving his hand just close enough to hook his pinky finger around the blue paladin’s before stepping away from the table, casting a concerned look to his fellow paladin’s only to be reassured by their smiles and nods. 

A nod meant everything was okay, and a raising of their eyebrows meant being uncomfortable.

Brushing hair from under their helmets meant help. 

“Anything else you want to try, they have something that looks like bread.” Lance offered quietly, letting go of Shirogane’s digit when the black paladin gave a curt shake, admitting that he was going to speak to Allura. Deciding it was best to try and play nice, Lance headed over near the area Hunk stood in- it was hard not to miss the larger paladin, his voice just loud enough to be heard over a few other’s, calming Lance’s beating heart. 

_ ‘It’s just like being at the Garrison banquets, just keep your head held high and keep smiling’.  _

Summoning every bit of courage he had Lance headed over towards a small group of Talianz, each dressed in robes of various colors that offset their markings, his smile wide as he approached, the fruit forgotten in hand. 

“Well hello there lovelies, my name is Lance, and may I be lucky enough to know your names?” Winking Lance felt his chest puff out with mock pride, trying to will his blushing cheeks away when several of the Talianz giggled at his mannerisms. 

“We are the daughters of the council, you may call me Celestian.” The tallest spoke, voice clipped in forced politeness, unfazed by Lance’s smile and mannerisms. “You are the blue paladin of Voltron, are you not?”

“Very fitting-”

“A lion of ice and water properties-”

Taking a bite of the apple like fruit Lance hastily finished it, thankful there was no core to throw away, merely licking the dribbled juice from his gloved finger. “Blue paladin at your service.” 

“Tell me, blue Paladin,” Celestian spoke, looming forward. “Why are you parading around as a paladin? Does the princess of Altea truly believe we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference?”

“I- what do you mean, I...I am the blue paladin?” Lance felt like kicking himself for letting his once confident words sound like a question, unsure and shaky of themselves, his eyes falling onto his hands before he allowed himself to look up, fully aware of the looks he received. “I am the blue paladin, I don’t know what you are talking about, i’m just a human with different colored skin from the others is all. Hunk’s skin is a bit darker than mine but that doesn’t mean-”

“I can smell you. You smell of the dead oceans.” Celestian tapped their nose, taking a step back, speaking in a language that was too fast for the helmet to translate, Celestian’s smile turning wicked. “This makes today all the more sweeter, blue paladin.” 

The laughter that fell on Lance’s ears remind him of the laughter he faced at the Garrison; laughter he had received from his fellow officers in training and even the teachers who snickered that he was one of the few ‘civil cases’ that they had to allow into the academy. For a moment Lance was standing back in orientation with a fresh pressed uniform and eyes wide after making the mistake of asking a question in his adopted mother’s tongue; taking a step back Lance wipes at hair from behind his visor in hopes of hiding his eyes, nearly jumping at feeling a hand resting on his shoulder.

“Lance, Shiro want’s us to get together to eat.” Pidge’s voice is soft, the green paladin giving the Talianz a smile before pulling Lance’s arm to guide him across the room to where Hunk is happily standing and eating, Pidge’s grip never wavering. 

“What about Shiro-?”

“I lied, I saw your signal, Lance, what happened?” Pidge stopped just short of begging, their eyes wide from behind their glasses. “Lance, did they say something wrong? Did they not take well to your flirting?”

Lance barely realized he was whining, a sound so soft that it would have been completely drowned out had Pidge not been so close to him, their hand giving his tricep a gentle squeeze where the armor revealed spandex. Glancing to the green paladin Lance shook his head, thankful that Hunk had moved over so that he wouldn’t have to repeat himself, aware that the yellow paladin looked just as, if not more concern for his best friend. 

“They said I wasn’t the blue paladin. And I know that’s not true! But they said it as if it was a fact, as if i’m some stand in just to fill in a spot for one day just to be discarded the next.” Lance’s chin dropped, his hands fidgeting. “They talked as if Allura was using me to show them that she had a full set of paladins. I don’t- they knew- they know-”

“Breath. Lance, breath.” Hunks voice was firm, his arms pulling Lance close for a hug, uncaring that a few Talianz looked over at the display of touch, Hunk’s arms giving him a soft squeeze. “Listen to me, Lance. None of us, none of the people who matter think you are a fill in. You are our blue paladin! The blue lion chose you, you brought us together. And, you make Shiro happy, do you really think some carbon cut out could do all that?”

“But they-”

“They don’t know you, they don’t know us.” Pidge added, affectionately bumping their helmet against Lance’s side. “We’re the paladin’s of Voltron, Lance. If they have a problem with you, then they have a problem with all of us. And you better believe Green will have them for dinner before we let them hurt you.” 

“I’d have Yellow here in a heartbeat too.” Hunk confirmed, giving Lance one last squeeze before stepping back, an arm still around Lance’s shoulder. “Not to mention Blue.”

“Yeah. Blue…” 

 

 

Allura’s command for her paladin’s to come to her side was followed without question, the princess’s eyes flashing whilst she spoke curtly, giving a quick introduction of each Paladin, ending with Lance. 

“As you can see all my paladin’s are present. I do not understand why you would accuse me of concealing a truth of such gravity.”

“I see four paladin’s and an imposter, did you truly think of us so lowly and incompetent that we wouldn’t see through him?” The Talianz that greeted them before spat out angrily.

“I assure you if you are accusing my black paladin of being part Galran-”

“I am referring to your blue paladin, however, four out of the five will be suffice.” All eyes soon drifted to where the paladin’s stood,several approaching wielding weapons quite similar to the Galran’s. “Four paladin’s will still put us in Lord Zarkons favor, as for the Atoranian, i’m sure we’ll get a few offers on his head.” 

No sooner had the words been spoken did all hell break loose; Shirogane was the first to order Hunk to bring back Coran and the princess whilst Keith and himself took charge of fighting against the Talianz that lunged, their movements as fluid and rough as any training bots they had fought against. With an order to fall back towards the lions Lance and Pidge could only obey, Lance’s bayard glowing as it morphed into the gun like weapon he had become used to, striking down several pursuing guards, his footsteps picking up to put space between them, thankful that they had brought the lions down planet side just incase anything like this were to happen. 

“Lance, your six o’clock, now!” 

Turning on the butt of his heel just a fraction too late Lance found himself hit by a bottle like projectile, the contents which bursted out in a powder once the glass shattered against the armor of his breast plate. Gagging at the taste Lance got from the powder getting under his helmet visor he continued running, waving off the concerns of the others before shooting the attacker down, bayard retracting once he was safely able to get inside Blue’s cockpit, ignoring the taste of iron in his mouth and the sensation that his skin was clamming up. 

He had more important things to worry about rather than his discomfort!

The moment Lance was secured in and had his hands on the controls of the blue lion he felt his mind clear. His thoughts no longer on the worry he had been feeling or the fear for the others, his thoughts replaced with a clarity he had been missing for so long. The feeling of his lion’s power rippling through him causing him to gently hum rather than worry. The lions were by far much faster and stronger than anything the Talianz had set to fight them with, the planet's defenses- offensives reflected and destroyed by a few shots from the various lions. For once Voltron was not needed, and Lance couldn’t help but laugh loudly, snickering when Keith told him to shut it. 

“Such a threat, couldn’t even hold us!” 

“Lance, buddy, you okay? Your sounding kind of.. Off?” 

“We need to stop wasting time and get back to the Castle, the princess and Coran want us to warp out of here as soon as we can.” Shirogane’s voice cut through the lines before Lance could respond to Hunks inquiry, an odd feeling washing over the blue paladin at hearing his voice. 

Wasting no time Lance urged the blue lion to head back to the castle, growing ever so aware that the itch he had felt was spreading, pain prickling under the gloves of his hands- he had to hold on though, just a bit longer, he could already see the opening of Blue’s hangar.

 

 

Something wasn’t right.

Lance could feel it...felt it through his bones and in his gut; it terrified him to think that something was off, he wondered if it was fear for his fellow paladin’s before he finally pulled his helmet off, catching sight of his reflection .

He saw…  _ him. _

All but throwing the helmet away Lance gasped and tried his best to change his appearance, praying to Neptune and any other god he had learned about on earth to fix this, only to find as his gloved hands touched his cheeks that the scales remained and his ears could pick up the sounds from the other hangars of the paladin’s getting out.

That meant Shirogane would be exiting Black’s hangar- and would be expecting to see him! 

“Just breath, you’re okay- we can fix this. Going to fix this.” Lance whispers to himself as if in prayer, placing his helmet back on as low as it can go, his hands aching and twitching despite how he holds himself, and when he finally gets Blue to open her mouth he’s all but running out. 

He tells himself that he’s not running, but Lance know’s his brisk walking is dangerously close to a bolt; he doesn’t know where to go, his heart was pounding against his ribcage and already he know’s Shirogane will have already been waiting for him- bathroom!

Ignoring the call of his name Lance bolts faster, his head tilted down just enough that if anyone were to look at him they would see the visor, and oh how he’s thankful the visor’s do a great job at hiding their faces!

“Lance- is everything okay-?”

The words from the black and yellow paladin fall on deaf ears as Lance sprints the remaining distance to their shared bedroom, thankful that they had their own private bathroom; it wasn’t a fool proof plan, but at least he would be able to hide in there until either he shifted back or gave up on hiding- and that was NOT going to happen! 

Retreating into the safety of the bedroom Lance couldn’t help but throw down his helmet onto the made bed, slipping into the bathroom just before Shirogane could open the door,the lock clicking audibly. It ached, Lance’s chest and heart ached, and for a moment he wondered if he was dying- was he dying?

Did whatever the Talianz threw at him, was it going to kill him?

Was this how Shirogane was going to find him? Dead and in a bathroom?!

Staring into the mirror Lance couldn’t help but feel repulsed, he had looked human for so long, now, to see himself as he really was, he almost couldn’t bare it. Turning off the lights Lance opted to sit on the closed toilet seat whilst his head hung down low between his hands, trying his best to ignore the sounds of footsteps just on the other side of the door. It was then that he heard the light knocking of knuckles against the metal of the door. 

“Lance, are you in there?” Shirogane’s voice was soft, the worry clearly heard as he kept his knuckles gently tapping. “Lance, please, I know you are in there, why don’t you come out? Are you feeling sick?” 

Silence was all the black paladin received. 

At the sound of knuckles stopping Lance released his held breath, eyes filling up with tears that threatened to fall as he gazed towards the area of the door, only a thin line of light coming from underneath. The sound of Shirogane resting his Galran arm against the door was heard, a gentle thudding from where Lance knew Shirogane had rested his forehead, the black paladin most likely leaning against the door in hopes of at least hearing Lance through the thick metal. 

It broke Lance’s heart. 

“Lance, what those Talianz said- they don’t know anything about how great you are or how our team works. Lance, you brought us together,” Shirogane’s voice grew low, Lance could only imagine Shirogane’s eyes flickering down in defeat, “you keep us together. Please, just talk to me, Lance. I didn’t know what to think when I saw you get hit back there… I thought I was going to lose you.” 

Opening his mouth Lance felt the tears beginning to spill, cascading down his cheeks like pearls, his lips trembling whilst his hands twitched. Sniffling Lance moved from where he sat to kneel by the door frame, keeping it locked whilst he leant forward, resting his hand where he believed Shirogane’s arm rested. Breathing shakily Lance tried to speak up for Shirogane to hear 

“I’ll be okay, please, please don’t worry about me, I just need time, I don’t want you to see me like this, not now and hopefully not ever-”

“And how do you look?” Shirogane’s brows furrowed, his fingers tapping against the door frame to fill the silence, he could just make out the soft whimpers and sniffles from the other side of the door. He wanted to comfort the blue paladin, to pull Lance close and kiss away each tear, and yet a small part of him, a part he feared to pay attention to, wanted to kill those responsible for causing Lance such pain. “Lance, I want you to be honest with me, if you’re afraid I’m going to think differently of you because you are crying-”

“It’s not just the crying!” Lance sobbed, his fist hitting the door hard, a hiss tearing from him at the pain that lashed up through his knuckles to his elbow. “They were right, I’m just a liar, a fake; and the worst of it is that I’ve lied to you, I don’t deserve you…”

“I want to see you Lance, don’t I deserve that much?” Shirogane finally whispered, resisting the urge to break down the door, knowing he easily could with his Galran arm. “Let me be the judge of that. Lance, nothing you can show me can ever make me think differently of you. We made a promise together, remember? Inside Black we promised no matter what. Please, open the door?” 

Lance’s fingers shook, his whole body was trembling, but even as he wanted to protest he knew that Shirogane deserved to at least see what he was; bringing his hands to his face Lance could still feel the scales and no amount of wanting to shift could make them hide. He had to be brave, had to quit lying, and if that meant he lost the most important person in his life, well, it had been a good run.

“Can- can you sit on the bed? I need a moment, I promise, Shiro, I just need a moment.” Lance asked, nearly begged as he sat back, waiting for the sounds of Shirogane’s response; earning a muffled ‘okay’ and the sound of several soft footsteps heading away from the door. Lance’s heart was beating fast, he knew he had only mere moments, and yet even as he stood and wiped his tears that continued to fall, he knew he would never be ready. “Please, I know I have asked a lot from you, but please, close your eyes.” 

1...2...3…

Unlocking the door in the dark Lance peered into the connecting bedroom, spying Shirogane still clad fully in his armor with his eyes closed, Lance’s helmet resting in his lap where his hands held it gingerly. The lights in the room were down low and Lance was appreciating that, his own eyes blinking to adjust whilst he stepped forward, whispering softly for Shirogane to look at him, his arms at his side while he trembled, thankful that he still wore his armor. He never thought Shirogane would ever hurt him- he knew the black paladin wouldn’t, but it still made him feel safe to have the hard metal around him, as if it could protect him from having his heart shatter. Watching Shirogane closely Lance flinched at seeing the black paladin’s warm gray eyes widen, the other’s lips falling into a tight lipped frown. 

“What did they do to you?” Shirogane asks a bit too roughly, his voice low, only to blink in surprise as Lance’s head shakes, the blue paladin approached, arms wrapped around himself. 

“They didn’t do anything but convert me back to what i’m supposed to look like. I’m ugly, I know.” Lance laugh was shaky, nearly hysterical whilst tears fell harder, his smile too large. “I’m not fit to be a paladin, I fooled you all into thinking i was human and  you must despise me so much- don’t worry because I despise me too!” 

Shirogane’s brows unfurl as he took in the sight of the blue paladin before him; Lance was still tall and slender, his hair still cut short with gentle waves of unruly locks, however, Shirogane can see finely pointed ears sticking up much larger than Allura’s. The shell of the ears appeared nearly webbed whilst Lance’s skin had changed several shades lighter, the color a very pale teal with bluish green scales dusted against his cheeks where his freckles had been. Shirogane grew curious, wondering if the scales speckled Lance’s neck and shoulders, pondering just how they would feel under his fingertips. He can tell no real change to Lance’s body with the armor on, though Lance’s nose is a bit more delicately pointed, his lips appearing a bit fuller and darker than his skin with a tinge of blue; almond shaped eyes still held their oceanic blues, though Shirogane could see specs of gold around the iris, the tears dripping down Lance’s cheeks remind him briefly of pearls. 

“Come closer.” Shirogane murmurs, wanting to see more, having to see more to make sure this wasn’t just a trick. “Take off your armor, i’m not going to hurt you Lance, I want to see.” Shirogane added at hearing Lance’s whimper.

Without hesitation Lance began to remove each piece of armor, keeping the spandex on,the gloves next to come off as he revealed his hands were much like his skin, lighter in color with sharper nails and slight webbing between each finger. Unzipping the spandex Lance began to slip it down, and much to Shirogane’s delight he sees fine scales littering down Lance’s neck and shoulders, a pale white scar visible by Lance’s belly. Much like the statue Shirogane had seen, Lance had a simple fin like appendage by his elbows and the back of his calves, the blue paladin standing only in his briefs, feeling terribly exposed, too afraid to move or redress. 

“I know i’m ugly, please Shiro, if you are going to break up with me...can you make it quick? You can yell and hit me if you want, I deserve it.” Lance whispered, gasping when Shirogane’s hands move to his hips, pulling Lance closer to him, eyes staring intently. 

“This is what you really are?” Shirogane murmured, licking his bottom lip in thought; at seeing Lance’s nod Shirogane couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head. “Lance, what are you talking about? You’re beautiful!” 

It took Lance’s brain a moment to comprehend what he was told, his cheeks tinging blue at the sudden words, his heart daring to skip a beat, it’s almost too much for Lance to believe- did Shirogane really think he looked beautiful? How on Earth could he?

Rubbing his thumbs against Lance’s hip bones Shirogane makes note on how warm Lance’s body still feels,taking in the gentle scent of saltwater and something sweet that wafts from the blue paladin. Urging Lance to move down Shirogane presses a kiss to his lips, finding that with a bit of coaxing Lance moves to kneel between his legs, kissing back eagerly, as if afraid Shirogane would change his mind should he stop. Shirogane had wondered if Lance’s lips would be cold, and yet he finds they are still warm, if not warmer than before, the taste of salt soft on Lance’s tongue and lips as Shirogane tries to put all his feelings together in that kiss, wanting more than anything for Lance to know just how much he loved him. And with a gasp they part, Lance’s eyes still glossy however the tears no longer falling, his cheeks still flushed blue, a shiver running down his spine as Shirogane wipes his thumb against a scale. 

“How can you find me beautiful, I lied-”

“I told you when we were in Black, no matter how you look, you are still, and will always be my Lance. No matter how you look.” Shirogane snakes his hand to one of Lance’s ears, giving the soft webbing a touch, amazed by how firm it felt, noting Lance’s gentle noise. “You must have had a reason to have hid this from us, I can not say I fully know or understand why, but Lance, I’m not mad. I could never be mad.”

Slipping up from his knees Lance pushed Shirogane backwards, urging the black paladin to remove his own armor whilst he grabs one of Shirogane’s sweatshirts, the comfort of the scent and touch brings out a happy trill from Lance he didn’t know he could still even make. Turning back to the bed he tried not to show his embarrassment, moving to lay by Shirogane’s side- he knew they would have to report in with the princess, he would have to confess to the other’s, but at that moment he needed to talk to Shirogane, needed to tell his boyfriend everything.

“I don’t remember too much about my home, my real home on Atoranchisu; I was so young,” Taking Shirogane’s hand in his Lance gives it a gentle squeeze, careful of his nails. “But I remember it was so beautiful, it was made up of oceans that were deeper than anything on Earth and beaches that varied in colors. The air, the sounds, it was like Earth.” For a brief pause Lance appeared wistful, quick to answer Shirogane’s unasked question. “I don’t remember how I got to Earth to be honest, I just knew that when I woke up I was some place different. The waters I found myself in were not the ones I grew up in, and seeing earth children, I had to adapt, change how I look to blend in- i was scared. I couldn’t change my appearance drastically, but little things like hiding fins, ears and scales I could do. It was luck alone back then that the sun’s warmth darkened my skin before I was found.” 

Stroking his fingers through Lance’s locks of hair, against the shell of his ears, Shirogane can’t help but be simply stunned, the softness of skin and hair are even more so than when Lance was- appeared to be human. “How did you come to meet your parent’s on Earth?”

“My Momma found me on the beach, said I must have been a gift since she had lost her son during early pregnancy, she was so happy to have seen me” Lance admitted sadly, moving closer for Shirogane to cuddle. “I told her I didn’t know where I was, and well, she took me home without a care, I think she knew I wasn’t human, but she never said anything, simply washed me up and had me knitted into her family- my family. As far as I’m concerned she’s my Momma, she never treated me any more or less than my sisters. Growing up in Cuba it was easy to lie and get fake documents, not even the Garrison suspected me of being different.”

“It must have been hard, seeing the Talianz today-”

“ I know the Talianz destroyed the planet where I was birthed, but honestly? I don’t feel connected to the planet anymore, sure I have dreams of being back there- but I think that just meant I needed to go back to my roots.”

“Maybe this is what you needed.” Shirogane suggested softly, giving Lance’s lips a kiss. “It’s not good to keep things in, maybe being yourself- your true form was what your subconscious was trying to say.” 

“Yeah, but I can’t shift back, not now anyways.” Lance admitted, kissing back. “What if I can never look human again?”

“Why do you need to appear human? You’re our Lance- my Lance, I love you regardless.”  Shirogane consoled, breathing in the gentle scent that reminded him of the beaches of Earth, of a sweetness found in cotton candy, intermixed perfectly together. “The other’s will surely have questions, but Lance, you know them, we’re a family despite our differences. If you decide to walk around like this always, we will never think twice. Nor will we ever allow the Talianz near you. Believe me, Allura was concerned when I told her I was going to check on you.” 

Lance’s smile was soft, his fingers stroking through Shirogane’s soft white bangs. “How did I get so lucky to have you?”

“I should be asking the same thing,” Shirogane murmured, his arm resting against Lance’s, pulling the blue paladin forward. “Do you need to be in water or-”

“No,” laughing Lance’s head shook, his eyes brightening. “I’m just really good at swimming, not to mention, I am capable of breathing underwater. Water is not required but I like to be in it.”

Humming at the answer Shirogane nuzzled his nose against Lance’s. “And your scales, are they sensitive?”

“They are- don’t!” Laughing louder Lance jerked back, feeling Shirogane’s nose dusting over the scales of his cheeks, the black paladin following him. 

“And your fins and ears- are they sensitive?” He practically purrs, interested in feeling all of Lance’s body, finding each new sensitive spot to be like a gift. 

“Y-yes.” Lance panted, shivering at feeling Shirogane’s lips nipping the point of his ear. “Someone’s feeling handsy-”

“Been keeping this a secret for a while, Lance.” Shirogane nipped the flesh again, moving to look at the other. “Can you blame me for wanting to explore more of you? I want to remind you just how beautiful you are, and if that means making the other’s wait a bit longer, well,they’ll forgive us.”

“Or gag.” Lance giggled, trying his best not to coo and trill at the attention brought to his scales, aware that Shirogane took great pleasure in pulling the noises out of him. “I’m still sorry for lying.”

With a simple shush Shirogane moved Lance over onto his back, straddling his legs with ease whilst he allowed both flesh and Galran hands to stroke down Lance’s chest and belly. “You can make it up to my. Now, how did you get this scar, Lance?”

Moving to grip Shirogane’s hand Lance’s toes curled at the touch of fingers tracing the old scar. 

“This, my beloved Shiro, is why you should never throw glass into the ocean.” 

Frowning Shirogane traces the scar before pressing a kiss to Lance’s neck, purposely licking a patch of scales. 

“Dutifully noted, now, let me look at you.~” 

 

 

By the time Shirogane had graphed Lance’s body with kisses and licks Lance found himself able to shift back, however, after being fully cherished he found he no longer wanted to; it’s a gamble on the other’s, but with Shirogane at his side, holding his hand and whispering to him just how beautiful he is, Lance felt a bit bold, deciding to keep the hood of the sweatshirt down whilst he gripped Shirogane’s hand. 

“I love you.” Lance murmurs, walking along side the black paladin to where they can already hear talking and smell dinner. 

“I love you back, Lance.”

Stepping in through the double doors Lance waits before all eyes fall on him, a silence going through the room before Pidge speaks up loudly in confidence. 

“Ha! I told you he wasn’t human! Pay up Hunk!” 

Eyes widening Lance felt his cheeks flush blue. 

“You- you bet on my species?!”

“Fuck yeah I did!”

“Language!” 

Laughing at Shirogane’s snapping at the green paladin Lance simply couldn’t help but gaze over to Allura and Coran, the two offering reassuring smile, and for a moment, like when Pidge confessed, he wonders if they knew all along. And it’s with that thought that Lance finds himself in a tight hug, Hunk holding him close and asking a thousand questions.

Lance felt at peace once again.

 


End file.
